Diabetes type 2 is defined by someone's inability to process insulin properly. Insulin is a substance produced by the pancreas that helps the body maintain a steady blood sugar level and bring energy to the cells that need it. However, when the body is no longer sensitive to insulin, people have a difficult time maintaining an even level of blood sugar. Unlike diabetes type 1, type 2 is usually less responsive to doses of supplemental insulin. Although it is sometimes prescribed, if the body is not recognizing it, adding additional amounts are not always an effective treatment.

However, even though medication is not always a good choice for treatment, there are actually many things that a person can do on his/her to help manage diabetes type 2. Although not as easy as taking a dose of medication, making healthy changes to your diet and exercise routine are a much more cost effective and long lasting treatment option. Although there is no uniformly accepted cure for diabetes, many physicians and researchers alike do realize the role that nutrition and maintaining a proper weight play in keeping their patients healthy.

To best manage your condition, adhering to an appropriate diabetes diet is absolutely essential. No matter where you are in the course of the disease, whether having just been diagnosed, or having lived with diabetes type 2 for awhile, it is always a good idea to find out what sorts of foods have the largest effect on your blood sugar levels. The most useful and easy way to do this is to pay attention to a food's glycemic index. This number indicates how quickly it is processed by the body and, therefore, how much of an effect it has on the level of your blood sugar.

Although cutting out high glycemic foods might not be absolutely necessary, it is a good idea to avoid them whenever you can and to learn ways to prevent the large insulin spike associated with them. For example, many doctors advocate making sure that you make sure to pair a protein rich food along with a more high carbohydrate food in order to counteract the high glycemic load of a carb-laden item. Another important tip is to make sure to eat regularly throughout the day without going too long between meals and to make sure to eat only small to moderate amounts of food at each meal or snack. Learning about various dietary tactics such as these will go a long way in helping to manage your diabetes type 2.



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